


Into The Sea

by celestialCetacea



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Dystopia, Inspired by Homestuck, Mentor/Protégé, Mentor/Sidekick, Mentors, Ocean, Other, Rebellion, Science Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Teenagers, teen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2019-10-14 02:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17500205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialCetacea/pseuds/celestialCetacea
Summary: Floreat Spei, a Legacy of the Rebellion, is constantly on the run from Occimantis government. While escaping from the Morina’s military, she runs into Ocearum, the heir of the Morina herself. In an attempt to flee from her pursuers, Floreat kidnaps the heir and makes a run for it. Now with the heir captive and the Morina on her tail, Floreat learns many things about what truly happened when the humans went into the sea.





	1. Prologue

       I remember when the humans first traveled into the sea. The polar icecaps had completely melted, causing the oceans to rise and swallow the continents whole. The governments of the lands had sent missions out into space, only to receive inconclusive results. Our time was running out. It was then that a team of researchers suggested that we send explorers into the dark depths of the oceans. The current powers agreed that this was the only way the human race could continue on, and so, a team of highly trained scientists were sent into the deep blue, hoping to save humanity.  


       Their journey was successful; after three months under the surface of the Pacific, they had found a place hospitable enough for the human race. One by one, colonies were sent down to what we thought would be the promise land.  


       Our “promise land” was already inhabited by sea-dwellers, a race of humanoid creatures that had developed gill-like lungs and webbed appendages. We discovered their existence on this mission, when our scientists were captured by a patrol of sea-dwellers. They were threatened in a language most of them did not know. However, a member of the team was well-versed in obscure languages and quickly deduced their language to be a derivative of latin. Had she not communicated to them, the human race would be doomed.  


       They were brought into a hidden city deep in the mesopelagic zone. Their queen, the Morina, had been welcoming, offering the first colonies places to stay in her castle. This hospitality went on for years, until a majority of the human race was inside her kingdom walls.  


       Rumors say that she imprisoned them, locked them away in her dungeon, or sold them to be slaves. Very few objected, for she stole the only thing that kept us breathing: a serum that coated the inside of the lungs and drew oxygen out of the water. We were at the mercy of her every whim. Those who did object the cruel treatment were publicly executed in the most gruesome fashion.  


       The humans left on the continents formed what was known as “The Rebellion,” a band of poor outcasts trying to overthrow Morina’s reign and liberate humanity. I remember when my mother left, leading the Rebellion on many rescue missions and ambushes. I remember telling her goodbye for the last time, and holding her so close to me, as if I had known what would happen. I remember when that responsibility became my brother’s. I remember when he took most of our forces in what he hoped would have been the last time the Rebellion fought the Morina’s militia. I remember when I was told he got executed too, and the responsibility became mine.  


       After the unsuccessful mission, we retreated into the mountains, the only place we hoped her forces could not reach us. Morina sent out troops to find what was left of us, and many were captured and taken to her kingdom. I feared the worst had happened to them. The remaining members and I set up a camp, regrouping and searching for anyone left to join the Rebellion. Ten years without sight of sea-dwellers had passed, we thought we were safe. Then, they attacked.


	2. Chapter One

       Agonizing screams pierce through the once-peaceful forest. A shot rings through the air and the scent of gun smoke fills my nostrils. Panic and confusion immediately hit me, as I bolt out of my tiny cabin. The moment I step out of the door I hear a gun fire. A bullet whirs past me, almost clipping me in the shoulder. My head whips around to where the gun was shot to find an army of sea-dwellers charging into my camp, shooting at anyone in their line of sight.  


       Another bullet whooshes past me, grazing my cheek. I reach a hand up and feel the sticky heat dripping out of my face. My body moves faster than my brain can think and I suddenly find myself hidden behind the trunk of a tree. I feel my heart leaping out of my chest. I hear the crinkle of the fallen leaves trodden by wet footsteps edging closer to me. In a split second, I bolt.  


       My feet take me down the path that hasn’t been used in years. The only markers are my faintest memories. The brush thickens, until I am fighting my way through the undergrowth. My head pounds with exertion and a metallic tang coats my tongue with every breath.  
I reach a wall of vines formed over the path. I thrust myself into the mass, using all the weight of my small frame. The wall barely budges. I wiggle my hand through the vines until I feel the breeze tingle against skin.  


       I pull my arm back and press against the wall, trying to find the weakest point. The bottom of the mass gives way. I get down all fours and brace myself. I fling myself though the wall and fly out. Vertigo hits me, and I am falling. My body slams into the ground and bounces off. I catapult down the hill, shrubbery and rocks digging into my flesh and propelling me forward.  


       I come to a crashing stop, my body bruised and battered from my fall. My throat cramping in on itself as I try to get a breath of air in. I crack open my eyes and blue floods them . A flash of white zooms past , its distinctive cry tells me I’ve made it. Laughter explodes from me. My veins pulse with adrenaline and determination.  


       I rise from the ground, my head spinning and my limbs screaming. I ignore it. I will not allow myself to succumb to earthly pains; the fate of humanity falls on my shoulders, and mine alone. I glance to my right. Just as I had thought, the submersible battleships were intact and untouched. They haven’t been used since…  


       A sigh escapes from my heart as I brush the organic matter off my legs and slowly get up. I wobble into a vertical stance; the fall threw off my balance. I stumble down the docks, searching for our two-person submersible. It’s the sleekest and fastest of all of our vehicles, perfect for a stealth mission.  


       At the very end of the dock, I spot its black hull reflecting the burning sunset. I limp over, gliding my hand on its smooth, sleek surface. My bloodied face is reflected back to me. I am almost unable to comprehend my face as mine. I reach my hand up and touch the gash on my forehead. I quickly retract my hand, my fingers covered in a layer of fresh blood.  


       I kneel on the edge of the wooden dock and dip my hands into the water. The blood swirls off my fingertips, staining the water a pale pink. I cup the salty water and douse my forehead with it.  


       “Jesus Christ mother- AGH!”  


       My body lurches back. Tears well in my eyes, as my forehead burns with the fire of a hundred suns. I tear off the bottom of my shirt and quickly blot it against my forehead, wiping away the blood now pouring from the wound. I reach over onto the submarine and fumble across the port side for a notch. Sliding my fingers into it, I push down.  


       The top of the submarine rises, revealing two seats and a small area towards the back containing two month’s rations. I flop over the edge into the pilot’s side, dust engulfing me. I reach under the seat and grab the bright red first aid kit. Tearing it open, I snatch the anti-bacterial salve and smear it across my forehead. The burning pain subsides and an audible sigh of relief emits from me.  


       I calmly reach back into the kit and grab the spool of gauze and medical tape. I press the gauze to the salve and wrap it around my head multiple times, ending the same spot I started. Tearing off the remainder of the gauze and throwing it into the bag, I adhere the medical tape to the gauze around my head, securing my wound.  


       Exhausted, I collapse into the seat. Now is the time to rest. I place the medical supplies into the red bag and sit up just enough to slide it back under the seat. Leaning forward a little more, I turn the submersible on, the turbines whir to life.  


       “Hello, welcome to the SSN-802 Akheilos, this is your autopilot speaking,” a computerized female voice emits from the speakers surrounding the hull.  


       “Autopilot, take us 19.0000° South, 155.0000° East, and four nautical miles down.”  


       “Course set, Captain. Preparing to launch from the dock. Please secure all loose objects and close all exits.”  


       I close the portside door and fasten myself in. The vibrations of the submarine lulling me to sleep.  


       “Launching in t minus five, four, two, one…” I feel the sudden lurch as the submarine plummets into the water.  


       “We will reach the destination in approximately twenty-seven hours.”  


       I pass out to the sounds of the turbines whirring and the soft beeping of the sonar system.


	3. Chapter Two

       I slowly awake to the bright lights of the control panel flashing behind my eyelids. A horrific throbbing sensations pulses through my head. I let out a groan and open my eyes, taking in the breathtaking deep blue of the ocean through the main window lining the control panel. I achingly turn my head to the left, where one of the many floor-length windows stands. Off in the distance a pelagic thresher shark gracefully swims by, its ridiculously long caudal fin whipping in its wake.

       I feel longing pulling at my heart strings. Ever since I was a child, before the mission into the sea, I wanted to be a marine biologist. My father was a local fisherman on the island my family lived on. We were a part of the collection of islands known as the Appalachia, one of the regions in what remained of the United States of America. The elders would tell stories of how before the oceans rose, the Appalachia was a mountain chain spanning near the eastern coast, full of deciduous trees that would turn the most brilliant shades of orange, red and yellow when summer shifted into fall. The few trees that stood tall on the island remained green. It was too warm, according to the elders, for the trees to change. I always tried to imagine how the different seasons used to be, how nature could change her face and still be as alluring as she was now.

       My dad would show me poems from a different time written about the haunting winter days, or the romantic autumn eves, wrapped up in each other with a hot cup of cider. How the sky would become violent with electric excitement and send bolts of white-hot energy crackling down, and yet the earth still bloomed with vibrant rainbows. He inspired me to search for my own passions.

       I was roughly eight years old when he brought me along on his boat. He taught me how to read the movement of the waves, and the clouds in the sky. I remember how much I loved the salty breeze pulling my hair back as the boat soared along the crests and troughs, and the warmth of the sun baking splatters of freckles onto my cheeks. It was while we sat on the boat that he would read me the poems, and I listened with as much focus as a small child could muster. So much, in fact, that I almost tumbled off the boat when the reel started screaming. My dad just chuckled and went to work, fighting with this fish’s natural desire to be free.

       When the fish was pulled aboard, I was awestruck. On the deck flopped this wondrous creature that I had never seen before in my entire life. The slimy, iridescent scales reflected the sunlight in brilliant rainbows. Its rose-petal gills flaring from fear and the inability to breathe. It stared into my eyes and I could see the wonder my eyes held reflected back to me. Never had I seen a beautiful execution of poetry in a living being before.

       As I was admiring the beauty of this life floundering in front of me, I heard the violent thunk. A final shudder pulsed through the fish’s glimmering body and blood pooled around its now-still gills. Tears welled in my eyes as I look to my father holding a hatchet shimmering red. Betrayal engulfed my heart as I cried for the beauty taken away from this world. I love my father, but that was the last time I would go fishing with him.

       Not long after that incident did my father go on another fishing trip. The sky was a brilliant blue without a cloud in sight. He kissed my mother, brother, and I goodbye, holding us tighter than he normally did. I didn’t think much of it at the time, I just thought he was being sentimental. However, he must have known something would happen that day, because dark came, and he didn’t. My mother sat staring at the door all night long, hoping for the heavy footsteps to land on the porch and my father’s smiling face to enter in through the front door. Later that week, a fellow fisherman pulled my father’s drowned body up from the depths on his fishing line. I had finally found my passion for the sea, like my father, but at the cost of his life.

       The following years I would go down to the docks in the middle of the night and stare at the moonlight reflected on the waves. I wondered if the moon was the last thing my father saw before he took his last watery breath. I begun to spend most of my time down at the docks, watching the fishermen go out on their boats and come back with their hauls for that day and occasionally asking them what they brought in. I learned the names of the fish commonly coming in, their body structures and the different patterns that lined their bodies.

       When I was twelve, I was gifted with a small fishing boat from my mother. She told me my father had told her how much I loved the creatures of the sea and how I should one day have a boat of my own to study them. Since that day, she had been saving the extra money she earned for the boat. I had burst into tears, so grateful for the family I was blessed with. That day I took my little boat out onto the sea, armed with one of my father’s fishing rods and an empty notebook, ready to explore what the depths of the ocean held for me.

       The sound of an automated voice broke me out of my memory-filled trance. I look over to the glowing timer floating above the control panel, the time reading “one hour left until destination is reached.” I felt a lurch in the pit of my stomach at the thought that, in the span of only one hour, I will be on the outskirts of the city that has forsaken my people. That fear and anger shifted into determination as I prepared the harpoon gun and my aquatic pistol for whatever challenges lay ahead of me.

       I practically leap down the ladder leading to the preparation room, storming down the hall to the steel door securing its entrance. I press my hand to the scanner, impatiently waiting for the tell-tale ding! and the door to retract. The door unlatches and without hesitation I squeeze through the tiny gap as the door slowly rolled back, like that of an elevator. Bright white light illuminates the room, revealing walls lined with various range and melee weapons, all designed for underwater attacks.

       A closet to my left moves forward as its doors open, showcasing the various bulletproof full-body swim suits, each handcrafted with high-tech, tightly woven mesh for movability and speed. I carefully pick out the black and white suit, designed to mimic the camouflage patterns of porpoises and sea turtles. I strip off my muddy, tattered clothes and pull the skin-tight suit over my body, feeling the fabric graze every cut and bruise as I do so. I zip up the front and walk over to the weapons rack where I grab two thigh harnesses, one for my gun, and the other for a machete I pluck off the rack. I examine the exquisite blade and the well-made handle, swinging the machete a couple times, before securing it into my harness. Glancing over the weapons one last time, I exit the preparation room and climb up the ladder to the main deck.

       Once aboard the main deck, I make my way to the fridge, removing a few of the many vials of serum. I stick them in one of the hidden chest pockets lining my suit, and make my way over to the control panel. I pick up my pistol from the captain’s chair, and slide it into the other thigh harness. Looking up, I read the remaining time left floating above the control panel. Fifteen minutes. I feel anxiety bubbling up in my chest, like an underwater thermal vent.

       I sit down in the captain’s chair and practice some diaphragmatic breathing, taking deep breaths in and out through my nose. I feel the anxiety slowly wind down with every exhale, tension leaving my muscles. I look up at the timer once more; only five minutes left. I open my chest pouch and take a vial of serum out, downing it in one go. I grab my harpoon gun, checking to see if it’s loaded. I grab an extra sling of harpoons, ready for whatever the sea dwellers throw at me. A determined grin spreads across my face and a spark lights in my eyes as I hear the automated voice count down.

       The submersible came to a halt behind a rock formation; the bioluminescent lights of the city can be seen off in the distance. Anxious to get out into the sea, I whip out of the captain’s chair, harpoon gun in hand, and bolt down the ladder leading to the hull of the ship. The muffled thud of my feet racing to the airlock echoes through the metal hall. I reach the airtight door and type the code into the padlock to the right. 

       The door opens with a whoosh. I step inside, and the door automatically shuts behind me. I turn to the wall to my left as it opens, revealing the keypad to open the final door. I type in the code and press the button triggering the timer. The panel closes, as the timer counts down from 10. I walk to the door and stare out into the sea before me.


	4. Chapter Three

       The hatch opens and water floods into the airlock. I take a deep breath, preparing for the water to enter my lungs. Water completely engulfs me, lifting me off of the grooved floor. I swim out of the room, reaching around the hull of the ship to press the button to close the hatch. I watch as it slowly lowers until it locks into place, water flushing out of the airlock.

       I began my trek across the ocean floor, using the rock formations and coral reefs as cover, harpoon gun clutched tightly in my hand. The kingdom coming closer into view, stone spires rising above the wall surrounding it. I watch as guards made their rounds, looking for any opening to get past the entrance.

       Frustrated, I sigh. The entrance seems well protected. I swim in closer, looking for another way in. I study the guards, awaiting my chance to get up against the wall. The guards turn their backs briefly and I take the opportunity to rush to the wall.

       Against the algae-covered cobblestone, I search for any weak point within the wall. There has to be something. I start to swim the perimeter, when I spot a small opening lining the bottom of the wall. A grin spreads across my face. _Bingo._ I quickly make my way to the entrance, and slip in past the wall.

       As I pop out on the other side of the wall, I am immediately blinded by the surprisingly bright bioluminescent lights of the city. Little flashes dance in my vision as it adjusts to the sudden change in lighting. I blink a few times, finally able to see what I would be dealing with. I had never actually been inside of the city before, my mother always telling me I was too young to go on missions. I felt completely exposed and inexperienced.

       I look around at my surroundings, surveying what I had to work with. The city was very different from what I was anticipating. The buildings were covered in vibrantly hued bioluminescent algae. A moving rainbow of fish swims by, their iridescent scales seemingly reflecting the light of the algae. It was magnificent. I was completely in awe of the beauty surrounding me.

       I quickly snap out of my trance. This is hostile territory, I reminded myself. No matter how alluring it was, I could not let myself get distracted. This is the place that enslaved my people and murdered my family. I swim out of the open and behind what I assumed was a house. Their buildings were not much different from how ours were built back in the day. I shook my head; I can’t get distracted; I have a mission to complete.

       I paused for a moment, realizing that I didn’t actually have a concrete plan set. I was so full of excitement and determination that I had completely forgot to come up with some sort of mission. Panic begins to flood my being, closing my throat and paralyzing me. I couldn’t move. All I could think about was how much of an idiot I actually was.

       Suddenly I hear shouting coming from around the corner of the house. Oh no. I knew that I must have been spotted while I was awestruck by the venomous beauty this place held. My instinct to run tried to kick in, but I was still completely frozen by the panic coursing through my veins. My vision began to blur, I had lost all control of my body. Just as the darkness overtook my body, I caught a glimpse of sea-dweller guards rounding the corner, tridents raised.

       I awake to the sound of a monitor beeping. I groan and attempt to raise a hand to my head, only to discover that I was bound. My eyes burst open in alarm and I vigorously scan the room. Across from me there was a long window. To my left, there was a heart monitor reading my vitals, and to my right an I.V. pumping a mysterious blue fluid into me.

       I look down and see that I am completely strapped down to a chair. I struggle to break my restraints, my heart monitor beeping faster and faster. I can hear behind me a door fling open. In my peripheral vision appear multiple sea-dwellers dressed in medical garb. I feel one of them tap my arm, and the sharp prick of a needle entering my body. I glance down to see a clear liquid flow into my body, and a sense of calm washing over me. My vision begins to blur again, and I fall into a medicated sleep.

       _The scent of the sea floods my senses. I stare out into the deep blue depths, hoping for any sign of their return. I can feel anxiety radiating off of my brother, and I can’t blame him. We both knew something was off with this mission when they failed to return yesterday._

_The water begins to bubble and my brother and I hold our breath with anticipation. The dark metal of the submersible comes into view as a sigh of relief escapes my brother. I wish I could have felt that moment of release with him, but I knew something wasn’t right._

_The submersible came up to the dock, and my brother rushed down to greet them. I stayed at the top of the hill, not wanting to be there for fear the worst was about to happen. I watched as the panel of the ship rose and only one person stepped out into the sunlight. My breath hitched as my brother collapsed onto the dock, his sobs filling the solemn silence._

_I knew at that moment that our mother was gone, and we were orphans. I ran into the forest, trying to get as far away as I could from the truth. A branch caught my leg and I stumbled, falling to the ground and scraping my legs. I curled into a fetal position, hugging my knees and sobbing into the soft blades of grass lining to forest floor._

       I violently jolt out of my dream, feeling the sting in my eyes from the tears. It had been years since I dreamt of that day. I sighed and looked up to the window, trying to distract myself from my memories. To my surprise, my eyes met with another pair, wide in shock, as if they recognized me.

       Our contact was only held for a moment, as the other person scuttled away as soon as they realized I was awake. I was once again left alone with my thoughts. Confusion rattles my brain as I make an attempt to remember the face staring back at me. They were older, and female, I think. I knew they were from the Rebellion, but I could not for the life of me remember who she was. Age had distorted her features from when I last saw her.

       My peripherals caught the silhouette of someone standing in the window.  I look up again to see if she had return when my eyes met with a different face, and I knew immediately who it was. The Morina. A growl resonates in my throat. She stares down at me with a look of disgust, and I return it. A raspy voice crackles over an intercom I was not aware of.

       “A Rebellion grunt, I thought my forces had taken out the last of you but I see that is an incorrect statement. If you want to live, you will tell me why you have trespassed into my kingdom and how many of you are here. Do I make myself clear?” She threatens.

       “Crystal.”


End file.
